The invention concerns an interconnecting element, especially for connecting panels, e.g. of wood, metal or plastic, consisting of an upper profile part and a lower profile part, the profile parts having curved sections which interact with one another at a distance from a pivotal joint provided on the inside of the panels and which constitutes a rotation point for the curved section, that the lower profile part has a socket, which interacts with the pivotal joint, the curved section being provided at a distance from the socket for interaction with the curved section of the upper profile part.
At present there are many different types of panels known and in use in which horizontal panel sections are connected by means of articulated linkages in the form of interconnecting elements, e.g. for garage doors, etc. The most common kind of wooden doors are panel doors. Constructions of this kind require relatively thick panels, which give relatively heavy constructions, resulting in high material costs. Thick wooden panels also increase the likelihood of warping of the wood, which in turn can lead to leaks in the section connections and possibly jamming of the panels in the opening and closing positions. If the hinge elements are visible from the outside, this will impair the general appearance, especially in the case of wooden doors. Some hinge elements require, amongst other things, an external stop strip in the gap between the panels, in order to prevent contact between the panels' curved sections in the closed position. Moreover, due to the panel design in some connecting panels, it may be necessary to have a packing in the gap between the door leaves.
The above-mentioned disadvantages are covered by the following patent publications amongst others.
In NO 169 357 there is described a horizontally divided closing panel of polycarbonate which is equipped with unbroken horizontal hinge joints which can be engaged with one another by means of hooks and where the panels can be insulated on the inside. The pulley bolts are inserted into bushings which are forced into the hinge elements. The hinge joint is visible from the outside.
Further in EP 1 326 131 and NO patent application 88 3479 there is described another interconnecting element where the pivotal joint is drawn back from the gap between the panels and where there is no opening between two succeeding panels into which fingers can be inserted. The interconnecting elements cannot be pre-mounted on the panels in the factory. Further in FR 1 310 605 there is described an interconnecting element which also has a drawn back pivotal joint. These interconnecting elements generally consist of traditional hinge joints which are attached to the back of the panels.
From U.S. application Ser. No. 3 067 814 it is known a panel for incorporation in a seriatim assembly of such panels hingeably connected together. Said panel being constituted by a pair of mutually opposed first and second shields angularly disposed to one another. The first shield of each panel is provided with a curved portion and a projecting extension, parallel with a main body that integrally connects the shields and terminates in an axle housing located between the first and second shield.